A California Superior Court judge on Thursday ordered the state to comply with a 2003 law that extends Medi-Cal coverage to people with HIV whose AIDS-related illnesses would not previously be considered severe enough to qualify for state funds.

An attorney for the plaintiff, Tom Myers, said that until AB2197 took effect, "you had to wait until you got sicker and your HIV progressed to AIDS until you could get any medical care."

The AIDS Healthcare Foundation brought the suit after the state Department of Health Care Services says that at the time, implementation of the bill was not possible because it wasn’t cost-efficient.

A spokesman for the AIDS Healthcare Foundation, Michael Weinstein, estimated that thousands would have received treatment before their health had gravely deterioriated and required more costly intervention. "The state did no outreach in order to encourage AIDS patients to join manage care in order to open up these slots," he said.

State health officials said they are considering their next options in light of the ruling.

(cfu/jro)